Spend your junior year thinking about what you would like to study and where so you can begin applying.

Be mindful of deadlines for standardized exams, such as the SAT, ACT and the PSAT/NMSQT.

Don't forget to fill out the FAFSA, which gives you the necessary chance to show your financial need.

Make sure you find balance in life and think about what you are most passionate about.

Sources: Sara Chavarria, The College Board

In the process of teaching incoming high school students about the college-going process, the Passport to High School institute also challenges them to think about their future career options, said Sara Chavarria, education outreach director for the UA College of Education of Education. (Photo courtesy of Sara Chavarria)

Incoming high school freshmen involved in the UA's Passport to High School institute learn about a range of resources before and after they become college and university students. They also practice important interview skills. (Photo courtesy of Sara Chavarria)

Students are involved in a range of activities, including campus tours based on their individual interests. They visit with faculty and students, learning about their research and work in disciplines that include medicine, fine arts and social sciences, among others. Students also visit other campus divisions such as admissions and Career Services. (Photo courtesy of Sara Chavarria)

The University of Arizona Passport to High School institute, which is designed to immerse incoming high school students in the college-going process, is now open to the general public.

The one-week, 40-hour program known as P2HS informs students who will be freshmen during the fall.

Offered three times this summer, the institute educates students about UA resources and also scholarships and financial aid. Students tour campus, interacting with UA researchers and students, and also learn to plan their high school classes and extracurricular activities. They also fill out a shorter form of UA's application for practice.

"We wanted the kids to view the program as a passport that would open doors to them on their quest to a higher education, beginning with how to proactively explore and engage in all that high school has to offer them," said Sara Chavarria, education outreach director for the UA College of Education.

Overall, the program's driving philosophy is that students not only need college-going information early and often, but they also need time to interact in higher education's physical space.

This summer, the institute is being offered June 13-17, June 20-25 and June 27-July 1, all 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is still open.

Previously, the institute was only open for students in the Wildcat School, but Chavarria opened it up to others after noticing that certain schools were not taking high school seriously.

"Wildcat School was the catalyst, but I was seeing that the students had no idea the role high school could play for them with regard to their future," Chavarria said.

"My biggest concern is that some students think they will just take the easiest classes in high school," she said.

"You can make so many mistakes freshman year," Chavarria added. "One of the things we want them to understand is that you need to start strong and be on the right path. You shouldn't be taking introductory math if you want to be an engineer."

Chavarria said she could relate to many of the students she works with because she, too, was the first in her family to attend college.

Alya Camacho became involved in the program while attending Wildcat School and is now serving as a volunteer.

"Through the three years I have known Dr. Chavarria, we have always been pretty close. I thought the program helped me so much going into high school that when she asks me to volunteer I said yes without a hesitation," said Camacho, who will be a high school junior this fall.

Camacho said the program was and continues to be very important to her because it helped her to choose the right classes and know when to speak with her school counselor.

"I felt very well informed," she said.

"It was very helpful because most eighth graders going to high school have no idea what to expect and are usually too shy to ask. I know I was," Camacho also said.

This is what drove her to volunteer.

"I just really wanted this program to help other eighth graders going into high school as much as it did for me," Camacho said.

Chavarria said that, for some students, higher education represents an "alien environment," one that can be imposing or intimidating.

Above all, Chavarria said she wants to involve students in "nurturing their own future" rather than to consistently wait for others to make the decisions for them.

"The program is fun and it's interactive. Everyday, the students are on campus interacting with faculty and college students so that they start to feel comfortable with the location," Chavarria said.

"This is a program that I really, really love," she added. "It is a great value to the students."

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